Phlebotomy
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Blood Testing Services (Phlebotomy)
General Information
Blood tests are used to help diagnose your illness and monitor your treatment. We understand that some people find them unpleasant and we aim to treat everyone with care, consideration, privacy and dignity.
We offer walk-in blood testing services from several different sites, so please check below to see where you can get your blood test and what our typically busiest times are, to help you make an informed decision where and when to go.
Please remember to bring your blood test form with you, as we need this to know what to send your blood sample(s) off to be tested for.
- Queen Mary’s Hospital, Roehampton
- Nelson Health Centre
- St John’s Therapy Centre
If you have attended one of our clinics and your clinician wants you to have a blood test you can go to any of the following locations:
• Clinic A Lanesborough Wing, St George’s Hospital, Tooting
• Queen Mary’s Hospital, Roehampton
• Nelson Health Centre
• St John’s Therapy Centre
- Any age: Dragon Centre, St George’s Hospital, Tooting
- Over 7 years: Queen Mary’s Hospital, Roehampton
- Over 5 years: Nelson Health Centre
- Any age: Fridays only at St John’s Therapy Centre
Locations and opening times
We only see clinic patients at our St George’s Hospital site. If you have a GP blood test request, you will need to go to one of our other locations.
We are open Monday to Friday 7.45am-4.45pm
Our quietest times are before 10am and after 3pm
We do blood tests here for anyone over 7 years of age – whether from clinic or from your GP.
We are open Monday to Friday 8.30am-4.45pm
Our quietest times are from 2pm
We do blood tests here for anyone over 5 years of age – whether from clinic or from your GP.
We are open Monday to Friday 8am-7.30pm and Saturday 8am-1.30pm
Our quietest times are after 4pm
“We do blood tests here for any adults – whether from clinic or from your GP. On a Friday, children also open to walk in and are given priority access. This does mean if you are an adult and attend on a Friday, children may be seen ahead of you.
We are open Monday to Thursday 8am-4.45pm and Friday 8am-1pm and 1.30-4.15pm
Our quietest times are afternoons and all day Friday
Adult
| Clinic A | Dragon | QMH | NHC | St John’s | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult | GP Request | Not open | Not open | Mon- Fri 8.30am to 4.45pm | Mon-Fri 8am to 7.30pm Sat 8am to 1.30pm |
Mon-Thurs 8am to 4.30pm
Fri 9am to 4.15pm (priority given to children) |
| Clinic Request | Mon-Fri 7.45am to 4.30pm | Mon- Fri 8.30am to 4.45pm | Mon-Fri 8am to 7.30pm Sat 8am to 1.30pm |
Mon-Thurs 8am to 4.30pm
Fri 9am to 4.15pm (priority given to children) |
||
| Children | 0-5 | Not open | Mon – Thurs 9-12.45pm and 2-4pm | Not open | Not open | Fri 8am to 4.15pm |
| Over 5 | Not open | Mon – Thurs 9-12.45pm and 2-4pm | Not open | Not open | Fri 8am to 4.15pm | |
| Over 7 | Not open | Mon – Thurs 9-12.45pm and 2-4pm | Mon-Fri 8.30am to 4.45pm | Mon-Fri 8am to 7.30pm Sat 8am to 1.30pm |
Fri 8am to 4.15pm |
Frequently Asked Questions
See below some commonly asked questions about blood testing:
Appointments are not necessary as we operate a walk-in service. When you arrive please take a ticket and wait for your number to be called.
For paediatrics (children), some blood tests are booked in advance at the request of your child’s consultant. However, even if you do not have an appointment, we still welcome walk ins.
We can only perform a blood test if you bring your request forms or order sheets with you. If your GP has referred you, please check that your personal details are correct on the request form. If they are not, please notify your GP. If you do not do this before arriving for your test, you may be delayed or sent back to your GP.
If your doctor has asked you to fast before your blood test, please do not eat or drink anything except for water on the day of the test.
We try to see everyone as quickly as possible and our aim is to ensure that no one waits longer than an hour but delays can occur for a number of reasons including emergencies. Our busiest times are in the mornings and on Wednesday afternoons, so if possible and your test is routine, you may prefer to attend outside of these sessions.
Please tell the phlebotomist if you have had any problems with previous blood tests such as feeling faint or if you are taking medication that thins your blood such as warfarin or aspirin.
When you enter the blood test room, a member of staff will check your forms. One blood test request may require several different tubes of blood but these can all be taken from a single skin puncture.
After the blood has been taken, you will be asked to apply pressure to the site to minimise the risk of bruising and a dressing will be applied. The dressing should be removed after 30 minutes and you should avoid heavy lifting with that arm for several hours.
A small bruise may occur after your test, due to blood leaking from the punctured vein and collecting under the skin. This is normal and will disappear after a few days in the same way that any other bruise does.
The phlebotomist is trained to take your blood but not to discuss your blood tests or medical condition.
Most blood test results are returned to the requesting doctor within a week. Results are not returned to the blood test room.
We are open late until 7:30pm Monday to Friday, and on a Saturday from 8am to 1:30pm for adults at the Nelson Health Centre
